If it were not for the Boston Red Sox the New York Yankees
may have the worst offense in all of the American League in 2014. Let that sink
in a minute because the Yankees are playing in the same league as the Houston
Astros, a struggling Tampa Bay Rays team, the Minnesota Twins, the Chicago
White Sox, the Texas Rangers, and your father’s Kansas City Royals. This offense
has left many Yankees fans disgusted and waiting for 2015 but I am not entirely
convinced that things will be much better next year than they were this year.
Looking at the Yankees roster for 2015 you pretty much have
locks at first base with Mark Teixeira, catcher with Brian McCann, third base
or DH with Alex Rodriguez, left field with Brett Gardner, center field with
Jacoby Ellsbury, and right field with Carlos Beltran. This leaves two full time
positions for the Yankees and likely for GM Brian Cashman to fill next season,
the shortstop and second base positions. The Yankees may fill a bench spot or
two but with the trio of catchers in Francisco Cervelli, John Ryan Murphy, and
Austin Romine along with Brendan Ryan and Martin Prado there won’t be many
spots left on the bench to fill either. Prado is the true wildcard in the
equation as he has the ability to play multiple positions including second
base, third base, and the outfield. Prado has played shortstop in the past but
I am unsure if I would trust him over a 162 game grind at short, but I was
wrong once so who knows. It looks likely that Prado will be the team’s second
baseman and backup and insurance policy in right field for Beltran’s surgically
repaired elbow. This is likely to keep a hot and potent bat in Robert Refsnyder
once again stuck in Triple-A taking away an opportunity for the Yankees to
upgrade the offense.
The Yankees cannot upgrade in at least seven positions next
year when you will have a year older Prado, McCann, Teixeira, Ellsbury,
Gardner, Beltran, and Rodriguez. With
Rodriguez specifically you have no idea what you will get from him after
basically two seasons off and now two hip surgeries. If the Yankees bring Chase
Headley back and place A Rod at DH full time or in a rotation that gives you
another player a year older and another push in terms of production. The
Yankees will be forced to upgrade big time at the shortstop position if they
want any kind of upgrade offensively and the free agent market is just about as
barren as the Yankees farm system at that position. The shortstop free agent
class is being headlined by Hanley Ramirez, who has no business being listed as
a shortstop anymore, and includes lesser names like J.J. Hardy, Stephen Drew,
and Asdrubal Cabrera. Earlier in the day we mentioned the Korean project
Jung-Ho Kang as possibly being the only decent alternative for the Yankees in
this market to replace the retiring Jeter.
With the offense likely standing pat or decreasing in
production in at least seven positions, likely eight positions, and no room for
a youth movement or big time free agent acquisition the fans may be in store
for yet another frustrating season and yet another missed playoffs.
